IOWA CITY — As Iowa celebrates its outright 2023 Big Ten West championship on Saturday, Hawkeye fans are officially free to admit that before the season, they didn't expect sophomore quarterback Deacon Hill to lead this Hawkeye team back to Indianapolis for a Big Ten Championship Game berth. Those fans had a lot of company, after all.
"Including me," head coach Kirk Ferentz said with a smirk after the game.
Hey, he's free to admit it now, too.
Hill threw for 167 yards on 19-for-29 passing as the Hawkeyes defeated visiting Illinois, 15-13, on Senior Day at Kinnick Stadium. Saturday's performance gives Hill an average of 195 yards passing with a 65% completion rate in his last two games.
Those numbers may seem pedestrian, mainly because they are, but they're also miles better than his 73.8 yards and 41% completion averages in his five prior games since taking over for an injured Cade McNamara early in Week 5.
"[Hill] is so improved, even from when he started playing six, seven weeks ago," Ferentz said of his QB. "And he made some big plays today. Some plays that weren't so good, but he made some big plays today, so you've got to give him a lot of credit."
Those big plays include a four-yard touchdown strike to Addison Ostrenga in the first half, where Hill flashed the rocket arm that he's been (helpfully) dialing back in recent weeks:
That high-velocity arm got Hill into frequent trouble earlier in the season, as his hardest throws were often the least accurate. But that was the exact pass needed to convert the score, and as the final margin shows, the difference between three and seven points in that situation proved to be mammoth.
The clutch throw might be emblematic of Hill's growth under center, but in that same way Hill's growth has been emblematic of the team's resiliency.
“Not just individually, but as a team, we have gone through a lot this year with injuries and whatever else," Hill said. "It's kind of the story of our season. Just keep punching forward each and every play, each and every day. Keep moving forward, one step in front of the other. I think we did that today."
Running back Kaleb Johnson, who scored the game-winning touchdown on a 30-yard scamper with under five minutes to go, hailed his quarterback's approach to personal improvement.
“It has just been amazing seeing [Hill] progress," Johnson said. "He didn’t get a lot of playing time when he first got here. For Cade to get hurt was kind of a devastating moment, but it was an opportunity for him. It was a matter of, 'what do you do?' He's in the room all day, every day, getting better. I believe in him completely now. He's in his game now.”
Senior defensive end Joe Evans agreed.
"Deacon has been tremendous for us," Evans said. "He's been a leader in the locker room, and he keeps on improving and improving every single week, and I'm just so happy for him."
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Hill's performance for Hawkeye fans? Not just that he's now completing passes at a competitive rate, but to whom he's completing the passes.
Wide receiver Kaleb Brown, a fellow 2023 offseason transfer, led all Hawkeyes with 10 targets from Hill — and his seven catches for 71 yards were both season highs for an Iowa wideout. Senior WR Nico Ragaini also had his most productive day of the year, with 46 yards on five catches (from seven targets).
Again, going 12-for-17 on throws to the starting wide receivers is, in a vacuum, not terribly remarkable. In a season where the wideouts came into the game with 4.3 catches per game, though — as a team-wide unit — it's the freshest breath of air.
"It felt great," Brown said about his performance. "I feel like it's part of what got [our offense] going. It was great to be a part of it."
Hill did make time to let his emotions out after the game. "Catharsis" almost seems inadequate for the embattled quarterback, given the tumultuous year he fought through.
"You try and stay level throughout the whole game and not let your emotions get to you," Hill said. "Feel whatever you need to feel after the game; that's something that coaches taught me. So after the game, you know... it’s going to explode a little bit.”
"Explode" is an apt word, given his postgame exuberance. You can see it in that video above. Maybe don't let the kids hear it.
Explosions are quick, though. Perspective is generally a slower burn. And the magnitude of the moment, and the journey it took to get there, is not lost on Hill.
"[Winning the division] feels awesome, but the part that feels the best is being able to do it with the team," Hill said, briefly fighting back emotion at the podium. "They welcomed me in, six or seven months ago, and I've never been more grateful or [proud] to be part of a team in my life."
